"Actor Chevy Chase hosted a ceremony for the far left organization People for the American Way. Along the way, Mr. Chase decided to throw a few bombs--calling President Bush 'a dumb f---, and an uneducated lying schmuck.' The nutty left continues to alienate everyday Americans. You don't see this kind of thing on the right. I know talk radio can get rough, but nothing like what these Hollywood nitwits are throwing out there. The left will never succeed if it continues to embrace people like Chevy Chase. Talking Points believes the far left is self destructing. It knows most Americans want a traditional country, not a progressive one. There's no question the left has lost the respect of everyday folks, and now it's acting out. Chevy Chase should apologize, and the far left should re-think its bitterness."

Chevy Chase is only the latest celebrity to deride President Bush with obscenities and insults. But do these incidents have any effect on the Democratic Party? Fox News analyst Ellis Henican wrote off Chase's tirade as merely a "dinner speech." "Maybe it was a little over the top," Henican contended. "That's what America is about, it's a part of politics. But I don't think the Republic hangs on this." But entertainment journalist Jeannie Wolf argued that Chase was way out of line. "I don't see anyone defending Chevy Chase. It was disrespectful, most importantly to the organization he was supposed to be representing. Don't blame this on People for the American Way." The Factor reiterated that celebrity bomb-throwers are harming Democrats. "You are now getting Hollywood identified with the Democratic Party, particularly the left wing of it, and people are getting angry."

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan was in Washington DC this week, apparently trying to shore up political support in a place where many have called for his resignation. Nile Gardiner of the conservative Heritage Foundation said Annan's ultimate goal is to win the endorsement of President Bush. "The President has so far refused to express confidence in Annan," Gardiner said. "The President did not see Annan in Washington, a clear snub. And there's a good chance we'll see President Bush call for Kofi Annan's resignation sometime next year, especially if we see a critical mass of Congressmen calling for Annan to go."

Border Patrol agents claim they are frequently ordered to release illegal aliens as soon as they're apprehended. Heather MacDonald of the Manhattan Institute provided one recent example. "A group of go-getter border patrol agents decided they were going to arrest illegal aliens. They started using intelligence and arrested about 450 in California. This provoked a massive outcry from the Los Angeles Times and illegal alien advocates, who claimed it was racial profiling." MacDonald said, "The depressing end to the story is that the Department of Homeland Security called off the arrests and rebuked the agents." MacDonald contended that America's border polices are putting all of us in jeopardy. "This is a national security disaster. We're releasing Middle Easterners every day, and we have to start enforcing the law."

Presbyterian minister James Kennedy has an office in Washington, where he talks with political officials, hoping to convert them to Christianity. "There are thousands of lobbyists in Washington trying to get something," Kennedy told The Factor. "We're trying to give something. We have one goal--to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to people everywhere." Kennedy said his presence in Washington is plain common sense. "I've talked to every kind of politician, sharing with them the good news of Christ. We do that with people all over the world, why shouldn't we do it with them?"

Guests: John O'Sullivan, Editor-at-Large, National Review & Jean Jacques de Mesterton, French political consultant

People in the United States and Europe have widely diverging attitudes, especially regarding religion and social policies. A proposed law in France would make it illegal to use language deemed "hateful" toward ethnic minorities, gays, and other groups. French political consultant Jean-Jacques de Mesterton explained the rationale. "France has seen a number of nasty and vile anti-Jewish assaults. The administration feels like it needs to do something to protect Jews from further attacks." The Factor pointed out that French legal tradition would make any "hate speech" law even more burdensome. "In France, you're guilty until proven innocent. You have a lot of people who are going to get into a lot of trouble." John O'Sullivan of National Review said England is also experiencing serious problems. "Religion has been declining in Britain, and all the indicators of social decay--crime, family breakdown, single parenthood--have shown an increase. Britain has severe problems directly traceable to the collapse of Christian morality."

The Factor has helped raise nearly $1 million for the Wounded Warrior Project, which aids troops injured in Iraq and Afghanistan. Army Captain Lonnie Moore talked about how the Project helped him deal with losing a leg. "The Wounded Warrior Project funded some of us to learn to ski again. I've been snow skiing, water skiing, kayaking, and I feel very fortunate. I think I'm living life more now than I did before." Another beneficiary is Sergeant Jeremy Feldbusch, who was severely wounded in a mortar explosion. Feldbusch lost his eyesight, but not his hope. "I have no sight whatsoever. But with the new things that are coming out every day, I feel sure some day I will be able to have some vision."